Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)

Person

Dates

Existence: 1852 - 1945

Biography

Sophie Weisse was born in Edinburgh in 1852 to a German father and Lithuanian mother. Little is known of her early life and education. In 1892, she founded the all-girls school of Northlands in Surrey, which she ran for twenty-five years. Although Northlands was a school of general education, music was given a particularly prominent place in the curriculum, and musical celebrities were often invited to visit and perform. Weisse employed the young Donald Tovey as a pianist at the school’s concerts, which provided a launch for his career as a musician and composer. Weisse had discovered Tovey’s talent at the age of four and had managed all aspects of his education. She further supported his career by funding the publication of his works between 1903 and 1913. Weisse and Tovey maintained a lifelong relationship. When Tovey was appointed to Edinburgh University’s Reid Chair of Music in 1914, Weisse followed him to Edinburgh. As Reid Professor, Tovey bestowed on Weisse an honorary degree of Doctor of Music in 1936. Weisse died in Guildford in 1945.

Weisse was a major benefactor of the University of Edinburgh. On Tovey’s death in 1941, she gifted 18 Buccleuch Place to the University as 'The Tovey Memorial Rooms', with the intention that it be used for student study. She also gifted the University portraits of Tovey and herself by Philip de Laszlo and endowed the Tovey Memorial Prize as an annual award for the most promising undergraduate composer or performer in the Faculty of Music. Her collection of around 600 books and scores relating to Beethoven was purchased by the University in 1948.

Found in 692 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Franics Tovey, 02 March 1895

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L390

Scope and Contents

Letter, 2 March 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Anxiety over forthcoming examinations and discussion of John Stainer. Holograph signed, with envelope.

Dates: 02 March 1895

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Hubert Charles Parry, 14 May 1897

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2384

Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 May 1897, London, Hubert Charles Parry to Sophie Weisse. Expressing pleasure at hearing News of Tovey's development. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 May 1897

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Walter Parratt, c 09 November 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2342

Scope and Contents

Letter, 9 November [1900], Windsor, Walter Parratt to Sophie Weisse. Discussion of the young Tovey's talents and development. Holograph signed.

Dates: c 09 November 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Walter Parratt, c 08 May 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2343

Scope and Contents

Letter, 8 May [n.y], Windsor, Walter Parratt to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Parratt will not be available until Saturday and praising the Goldberg analysis. Holograph signed.

Dates: c 08 May 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Walter Parratt, c 02 October 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2345

Scope and Contents

Letter, 2 October [n.y], Windsor, Walter Parratt to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of a discussion of Tovey between Parry and Parratt. Holograph signed.

Dates: c 02 October 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Therese Dabis, 12 December 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2109

Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 December 1900, Bonn, Therese Dabis to Sophie Weisse. Discussing the convalescence of a child. Typescript copy.

Dates: 12 December 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Thomas Spring-Rice, 28 October 1907

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2474

Scope and Contents

Letter, 28 October 1907, London, T. A. Spring Rice to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for her hospitality, requesting that Tovey give a lesson to a friend of Spring Rice and news of Spring Rice's engagements. Holograph signed.

Dates: 28 October 1907

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Unknown, 01 August 1939

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2750

Scope and Contents

Letter, August 1939, London, Unknown to Sophie Weisse. Describing the authors illness and medicine prescribed by Dr. Dickson. Holograph, written on the back of a poem in German.

Dates: 01 August 1939

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Unknown, 03 October 1909

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2752

Scope and Contents

Letter, 3 October 1909, Cambridge, Unknown to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey. Holograph unfinished.

Dates: 03 October 1909

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Unknown, c 22 February 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2753

Scope and Contents

Letter, 22 February [n.y], London, Unknown to Sophie Weisse. Inviting Miss. Weisse and Tovey to stay. Holograph incomplete.

Dates: c 22 February 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)

Dates

Biography

Found in 692 Collections and/or Records:

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